The other day, I was asked my opinion on bariatric surgeries. I went off -- in my customary, trying-to-be-balanced way (with limited success) and ended with the thought that one way bariatric surgery works is to make it painful for people to eat more than just a little bit. The new "smaller stomach" fills up on smaller amounts of food -- providing pain as a feedback to stop eating.
Now comes my observation...
A couple weeks ago, I told you I had been considering no-bake cookies but didn't make them that evening. Well...you knew it was coming -- I finally made them (and ate some of them) and they were delicious! I froze most of the batch (which only makes them better, in my opinion) and have been trying (with some success) to forget they are there. But here is the thing...
In the first couple days they were sitting in the freezer, I was eating 3 or 4 a day. During the same time, my stomach started feeling ripped up. FINALLY, I put it together -- all that sugar was making my stomach hurt. Stopped eating the cookies and drinking more water -- stomach feels fine.
Yesterday, I went home and NEEDED a no-bake cookie. Ate one, knowing it was going to make my stomach hurt -- REALLY HURT -- and did it anyway. Sure enough -- stomach hurt all evening.
Why?? Why would I do this?? Doesn't it seem logical that if I knew my stomach would hurt, I would NOT EAT what I know is going to cause it? Obviously not. This was a pretty big lesson to me about what will motivate me (the thoughts of doing something healthy for myself -- things that make me feel good) and what doesn't (physical pain and things that make me feel bad).
Perhaps, this is the same mechanism at work in bariatric patients that allows them to eat enough to stretch out their new stomachs and gain the weight back (in almost 97% of the cases).
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